The Time Portal
by Rosamunda
Summary: Rumour had grown in Middle Earth about a strange time portal, and someone finds it and is brought to the year 1995, in Hawaii. What will happen? Read to find out! (occurs before the Fellowship) PLEASE review if you like it...
1. Prologue The Day You Were Born

Lokelani was a 16-year-old girl who seemed to be living a normal life. She lived in a normal house on the island of Oahu, outside Kahuku in a nice rural area about a mile from the beach. She loved to swim and surf, just like the other kids. But there was something strange about her that no one could quite place. Being a full-blooded Hawaiian, she was expected to have tanned skin (which you would have anyway, living in Hawaii), long dark thick hair, and dark eyes. Lokelani did have the thick dark hair, but her skin wasn't tan. There was a strange sort of "glow", that's the word people used for it. It was strange and made her look like some sort of angel, or spirit. She also had the most peculiar, beautiful eyes. They shone out a bluish-green; a strange color no one had ever seen before. Her mother told Lokelani that she inherited her odd yet beautiful looks from her grandmother, who had died before she was born.  
  
Adding to her nice looks Lokelani had a nice personality. She was a very kind, generous person that was always making people feel better with her optimistic personality. She was also outgoing, and never had any enemies at school. But it was a surprise to everyone that she had never had a boyfriend. Most guys at school felt intimidated by her, and never asked her to a dance or to the movies.  
  
If there was one thing Lokelani loved more than the ocean, it was books and stories. She'd laugh and remember times when she was a child, sitting on "daddy's lap" on a breezy warm night, while he told her stories. Her all- time favorite had always been the one about the day she was born.  
  
"It was a beautiful sunny day of course" her father, Noelani would always begin. "Everyone was so excited. Uncle Lokepa and Aunt Pela, all the cousins were there, everyone. We were all so excited. Mommy and I hadn't thought of a name for you yet, so we were a little worried we'd have a baby without a name. But when you were born, the doctor cleaned you up, and handed you to mommy. She was crying of course." Lokelani would laugh. "Then you opened up your big eyes, and by then everyone had come in the room. Everyone gasped and said they had never seen such a beautiful baby. So then your mother whispered 'Lokelani!', heavenly rose. And that's what happened the day you were born!" 


	2. A Strange Incident

Lokelani knew she may have looked a bit different, but she always thought of herself as an average girl, until one day something happened to change it all.  
  
It was February, and a Monday, but Lokelani was staying home from school with the flu. She didn't really feel that awful, so after her parents left for work she got out of bed to go watch television. After a while of switching through morning infomercials, Lokelani decided to go read a book in her room. Lokelani picked up a Harry Potter book to read. She had just finished reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy for the tenth time, and now she was rereading her Harry Potter books over. Halfway through the chapter she had begun reading; Lokelani thought she heard a noise outside.  
  
"It can't be Koa, because Mom brought him to the groomer this morning." Lokelani whispered to herself, thinking of her Golden Retriever.  
  
She walked slowly into the den, and picked up the poker for their decorative fireplace and began creeping around the house like a cat. Lokelani surprised herself at how quietly she could creep. Despite the fact that she had on embarrassing Eeyore pajamas, she stepped outside in the warm sunlight. She walked around the yard, still carrying the poker for protection, when she saw the strangest person she'd ever seen in her life.  
  
A man-a quite amazing man at that-was walking around her yard, looking extremely confused. His hair was long, but not as long as Lokelani's, and blonde. He had on strange forest green clothing and. "Uh oh, he's got weapons." Lokelani said under her breath. He had a bow and arrows and two strange looking knives. But his confused attitude made him seem harmless. She straightened up, as she was hiding crouched behind some bushes at a corner of her house.  
  
"Excuse me, sir" Lokelani said clearly. He jumped and turned around. He had the most brilliant, beautiful blue eyes [A/N: excessive use of the letter 'b' ?? haha]. "Excuse me. Who are you and why my I ask, are you on my property?" Lokelani finished. The man had been startled both by Lokelani's beauty and strange clothing. He turned away, still looking around. "Who are you sir?" Lokelani said slowly, scared that she had a psycho on her hands.  
  
"I have never seen a place of such strange and different beauty," he said slowly, his eyes grazing from the palm trees, to the tropical flowers, and then to the rocky shore in the distance. Lokelani got a vibe that this man wasn't harmful, so she approached him. "Sir..." she began.  
  
"Oh!" he said suddenly, as if coming out of a trance. He turned back to Lokelani, stared at her for a minute, smiled, blushed, and looked away.  
  
"Is there a problem?" Lokelani asked, getting agitated. When was this guy going to tell her who the hell he was and what planet he was from?!  
  
"Please, forgive me my lady." He said smiling. He had an accent, English. "My name is Prince Legolas of Mirkwood." He bowed. "Though it does not seem I am in Middle Earth...so you will know nothing of Mirkwood." he said, more to himself. Lokelani swayed. Was this a dream, or did this guy just say Middle Earth and Mirkwood???.and Legolas, as in the warrior elf of the Fellowship? What was going on? "What is it my lady? You look pale. Is there something I can do??" Legolas said with a look of concern.  
  
"Pinch me" Lokelani said thickly, and everything went black.  
  
She woke up with a cool hand patting her face. She was awake, but kept her eyes closed. She felt herself on the ground, but who was that patting her face? Then she remembered what happened. "That was a dream," she said aloud.  
  
"What was that?" an English voice said. Legolas. She opened her eyes to see a pair of beautiful blue ones staring back. She groaned. She felt slightly psychotic. Was this a side effect of the flu? Hallucinations of Lord of the Rings characters popping up in her yard???  
  
"You are NOT real." She told Legolas, as she still lay on the ground.  
  
"Would you rather me leave?" Legolas asked. "I'd rather not, I do not know my way about this place."  
  
"No, it's alright, you can stay. You're nice to look at, I'll say." Lokelani said smiling weakly.  
  
"I could say the same about you." Legolas said blushing. "You haven't told me your name yet, nor where I am."  
  
Lokelani sighed and sat up. "My name is Lokelani. And you are in a place called the Hawaiian Islands. It is a completely different world than Middle Earth, which you'll be surprised to know that I know a lot about...Now, help me up, and we can go inside to get something to drink, They you can tell me how you got here." Lokelani said, as Legolas pulled her up. They went inside, and Lokelani poured two glasses of iced tea. Legolas looked strangely at it. "It's called 'iced tea', just drink it." Lokelani persisted. They sat down at the table, and began to talk. 


	3. Figuring Things Out

Legolas stared at Lokelani through from behind his glass of iced tea. Lokelani felt his eyes, but quickly looked away. He continued to stare.  
  
"Will you stop staring at me??" Lokelani said exasperated.  
  
"I'm sorry my lady, you have such rare beauty." Legolas responded. Lokelani blushed.  
  
"People don't normally say things like that to me." she said, trailing off. "Ok enough about all that.how do you suppose you got here?"  
  
"Well, I must admit I'm not sure.this must be a different world than that I am from." Legolas began.  
  
"Yes, of course it is." Lokelani said "I know all about Middle Earth, and most of the fates of all of those you care for."  
  
"What??" Legolas asked, shocked. "Do you have the gift of foresight?"  
  
Lokelani laughed. "No, of course not. Follow me, let me show you" Lokelani said, and got up and lead Legolas to her room.  
  
"Are these your chambers, my lady?" Legolas asked.  
  
"Yes" Lokelani laughed, "More formally known as my room. And please just call me Lokelani" she said as she rummaged through a pile of books and CD cases on her desk. "Aha!" Lokelani said softly as she found her huge Lord of the Rings trilogy book. "This is how I know everything about your world, and your companions." Lokelani showed Legolas the book.  
  
"The Lord of the Rings trilogy.includes the Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King" Legolas said as he read the front cover. He went to open the book, but Lokelani's hand slapped the cover back down.  
  
"Wait.what you read could cause you to change your future actions, and therefore change future events.anything could cause the future to take a serious turn for the worst." Lokelani said, her eyes wide with apprehension. "What year was it in Middle Earth, when you came here?"  
  
"It was the year 3017 of the third age" Legolas said.  
  
"Well you defiantly CANNOT read these books, or even look at them, because everything in these occurs after 3017.actually about a year after.has Gollum been brought to your father by Aragorn yet?" Lokelani said.  
  
Legolas paused and looked at her suspiciously. "Yes." he said, his eyes narrowed. "If everything in this book is after the year in which I am in, then how do you know that?" "In the back of the book, there is a huge index, telling about everything that happened before the books and after. The index starts at the beginning of the Second Age, and contains the Third Age and some of the Fourth Age." Lokelani explained. "The author also has many things about different families in Middle Earth, and the Numenor, the line of kings of Gondor." Lokelani went on.  
  
"Who was this man?" Legolas asked.  
  
"J.R.R. Tolkien" Lokelani responded. "It is said that he made up all of the Middle Earth languages and everything about it.but apparently that was just a cover-up, unless of course, I'm dreaming.which seems way more logical than the latter."  
  
"I suppose he must have gotten to Middle Earth in the same fashion that I got to this world." Legolas said, thinking. "Wait! I've just remembered! I remember my father talking about something with Mithrandir one day, saying that no one should know about it, that it must be kept secret, a time portal that can transfer creatures to Middle Earth or from Middle Earth to another world, a planet called Earth, that had no elves or hobbits, or anything magical, simply men, and they were more advanced in technology than the peoples of Middle Earth."  
  
"How did you get through the time portal? What were you doing?" Lokelani asked.  
  
"Well, I was simply taking a walk through the forest, and I climbed a tree, and there were strange markings on the trunk at the top, and when I touched them, there was a flash, and I felt my body jerk, and I landed on the ground, and I was here." Legolas said.  
  
"Come show me outside, where you came in or whatever." Lokelani said, and began to walk outside.  
  
"It was somewhere over there, by that enormous odd looking tree." Legolas said, pointing to the Kapok tree.  
  
They went over and investigated it. Legolas climbed up to the top, and Lokelani climbed up after him.  
  
"You can climb trees quickly like that of an elf. Are you sure you are not one?" Legolas asked, impressed.  
  
"I doubt it. How is that possible? Even though I don't look like normal Hawaiians, I don't think its possible I could be an elf." Lokelani responded.  
  
"You have a strange glow to your face, like that of the ancient and high elves. There is a time portal on the grounds of your home. It is possible for you to have elf blood." Legolas said. "Look! Its markings like I saw on the tree in Mirkwood. My lady, come see!"  
  
Lokelani ran up the branches gracefully and with ease to the spot where Legolas was, at almost the very top of the vast tree. He was sitting straddle on the branch, and took Lokelani's hand to help her up, and she sat next to him. Legolas pointed to the trunk, where there were markings in an oval shape. The markings looked like neither runes nor Elvish, perhaps a mixture of all the writings of Middle Earth. When Lokelani or Legolas' hands neared it, it would glow a dark green color.  
  
"What should we do?" Lokelani asked Legolas.  
  
"I suppose.well." Legolas began reluctantly.  
  
"You belong in Middle Earth." Lokelani said, "You could never pass for normal in this world."  
  
"Yes.well.would you like to come with me.Lokelani?" Legolas said, smiling at her.  
  
"I.well I admit I'd love to.but.yes I'd love to!!" Lokelani answered, excited. "Do you think I'll be able to come back home?"  
  
"I'm sure the portal will stay open.we can ask my father when we get back to the palace." Legolas said excitedly.  
  
"Ok, so all we have to do is touch these markings?" Lokelani asked.  
  
"I'm pretty sure.let us both touch it at the same time." Legolas answered.  
  
"On 3.ready? 1.2.3." Lokelani said, and touched the markings in unison with Legolas, and felt the same as he told her he had-she saw a flash of bright light, and her body jerked. 


	4. Mirkwood and the King's Hall

Suddenly, Lokelani was in a dark, lush forest. It was very mossy, the air was thick, and Lokelani found it beautiful. She took a deep breath of air and breathed in the clean, sweet scent of beech and oak.  
  
"Do you like the smell of Mirkwood Forest, my lady?" Legolas asked smiling at her.  
  
"I admit it does please the senses." Lokelani answered.  
  
"We must be setting off for the Hall of my father. I must tell him that I have discovered this time portal.and we must find out more about it." Legolas said, and taking Lokelani's hand, lead the way. The followed a narrow path through the woods that had obviously been used often. Soon they began passing small huts in the branches of large beech trees and on the ground, and soon came upon a river. There was a bridge over it leading to a shallow cave, which was King Thranduil's palace. Lokelani and Legolas entered the vast hall. At the end of it Lokelani saw an elf with golden hair like Legolas' sitting in a large wooden chair with elaborate carvings. He had a crown of leaves upon his head, and Lokelani knew this must be King Thranduil.  
  
"Legolas, my son, back so soon? I assumed you would be gone until dusk." Thranduil said to his son, not noticing Lokelani.  
  
"Something happened, my lord." Legolas replied to his father's greeting.  
  
"What? What is it? Don't tell me you've seen orcs." Thranduil said, his brow furrowed.  
  
"No. Before I tell the tale, I would like to make a confession, and hope you will forgive me." Legolas said, sighing. "The other day, I overheard you and Mithrandir discussing something.to say the least I was eavesdropping on your conversation. It was about a time portal. I have found it."  
  
"Forget the eavesdropping.you've found the time portal???" Thranduil said, completely shocked. "Tell me about it, where was it, and what did it look like? Did you find anything suspicious near it?"  
  
"My lord, I was climbing a tree. I was near the top branch when I saw strange markings on the trunk. They were in an oval shape, and in a language I have never seen before. When my hand neared it, the markings would glow green. I touched it, and went through.I am not sure if this was a mistake or not." Legolas said trailing off, and looking at Lokelani at the corner of his eye.  
  
"You went through the portal? What happened? Where did it take you?" Thranduil asked urgently.  
  
"To a place I know hardly anything about. This is where my guest comes in. Father, this is Lokelani. I brought her with me through the portal." Legolas said, gesturing to Lokelani. Thranduil looked wildly to Legolas' left. He had obviously just realized she was there.  
  
"You brought a creature through with you?? Legolas I do not think that was a wise decision. But at least she is an elf." Thranduil replied.  
  
"I.what? My lord, I do not believe I am an elf." Lokelani began.  
  
"Then why are your ears pointed, and why do you resemble one of the ancient high elves that once passed through these lands?" Thranduil said impatiently.  
  
"What? My ears ." Lokelani began, but was cut off by Legolas.  
  
"My lady! Since we came to Middle Earth, your appearance has changed! Your ears are indeed pointed!" Legolas exclaimed. Lokelani looked in a mirror that Thranduil handed her. Pointed ears poked out through her thick black hair.  
  
"As to that, I cannot explain it my lord." Lokelani said. "But I can tell you of my world. It is a planet called Earth, and it is very different from this world. It is a land dominated only by men, and if there are elves and hobbits, no one knows of them. We do not dress the same, and are much more advanced in technology and weaponry. The creatures are very different, and yet there are some of the same as well. However, there is one thing strange about this entire situation. Everything about Middle Earth, and this world, and the doings of its people, is fictional to the people of my world. There are many books about Middle Earth, but they are said to be fictional, fantasy. I myself have read these books and did not believe it to be true, until I met Legolas near my home. I would not let Legolas read anything from any of these books, because they are about the future of Middle Earth, and by him reading them, it could cause something horrible to happen. Him knowing what the future holds could cause him to change his actions, and therefore could change the entire future of Middle Earth completely." Lokelani finished with a sigh.  
  
"Well, I can see you are very educated, for a female." Thranduil said impressed. "But what are these clothes you are wearing? As soon as we finish discussing this time portal, I will have one of my servants dress you properly, and have a room and bedchambers be made up for you. You shall stay in my palace.." Thranduil smiled at Lokelani.  
  
"Father, we have some questions about the portal." Legolas began, "Will Lokelani be able to get back to her world? Does the portal stay open forever? Why were you and Mithrandir so worried about keeping it a secret?"  
  
"Lokelani can get back to her world, yes, but not for another year. The portal only opens exactly one month and a day before the spring equinox, stays open for a day, then closes. Mithrandir and I were so worried because there are a million horrible possibilities that could result in this time portal being discovered by the wrong person. Think, Legolas. We knew that the world it transported to was more advanced in technology, and therefore weaponry. What if a servant of the Dark Lord were to go through it? They could come back with horrible weapons to destroy all life of Middle Earth. The worse scenario we thought of was someone coming through from the other side.we didn't know what the creatures were like there. Thankfully, it seems the one you found is completely harmless." Thranduil said.  
  
"I'm not going to see my family.for a year??" Lokelani exclaimed.  
  
"Lokelani, I'm so sorry.I should have never asked you to come with me." Legolas said softly with sorrow in his eyes.  
  
"It's not your fault.you did not force me to come here. At least I'm not someplace dull." Lokelani said with a smile. Legolas smiled back warmly.  
  
"Ah yes! I shall arrange some bedchambers and proper clothing for you, my lady. Go with Dimdalial, and she will show you the way." Thranduil said smiling.  
  
"Wait.Le-.." Lokelani began, looking at Legolas.  
  
"You will be able to see my son soon." Thranduil said with a soft chuckle, and Lokelani followed Dimdalial.  
  
The elf-servant Dimdalial was a pretty elf woman that was somewhat short for an elf. She was wearing less elaborate clothing than Thranduil and Legolas, even though Legolas' weren't exactly princely.  
  
"Right this way, my lady. Ah, yes here is your room!" Dimdalial said as she opened a heavy wooden door. The room inside was unlike any Lokelani had ever seen. There was a beautiful canopy bed to the right, and windows on the entire opposite wall of the room. Thin, silky, blue curtains hung from the windows and canopy bed, and danced in the light breeze coming from the open windows. On the left, there was a beautiful armoire with wonderful, breathtaking carvings of angels.  
  
"Welcome to your room, my lady," said Dimdalial smiling at Lokelani's shock. "Why don't we get you some clothes, and fix up your hair? My Lord Thranduil said there is to be a special dinner tonight in honor of your stay."  
  
"For me?! That's so flattering! But what will I wear?!" Lokelani said, suddenly realizing she only had on her Eeyore pajamas.  
  
"Do not fret my lady! We have many frocks here, and I believe they are just your size! You just wait right here, I have the perfect one!" Dimdalial said, and ran away excitedly. She came back with a beautiful forest green dress. Lokelani tried it on, and it fit perfectly. The waistline was low, as the normal fashion of elven dresses. At the waistline there was a thick golden belt of the same soft material as the dress, but in a golden color, and it went down to the bottom of the dress. There were beautiful embroidered markings in gold all over the dress. The neckline dipped down teasingly, but was not revealing. The sleeves of the dress were beautiful and long and trimmed in gold.  
  
"It brings out the green in your eyes, my lady. You look beautiful!" Dimdalial said happily. "Now, for your hair." Dimdalial brushed the tangles out of Lokelani's long dark tresses, and did two small simple braids that made it look as if Lokelani had a little tiara in her dark hair. Dimdalial weaved in little gold ribbons with the braids, so it really did look like a crown. "It seems you do not need jewelry, my lady. Where did you get that beautiful pendant?" Dimdalial asked Lokelani. Lokelani always wore a beautiful golden necklace that was her grandmother's. She only took it off if she were in the water. The pendant was a small, pretty light pink rose attached to a small green leaf, and was on a light golden chain. Lokelani told Dimdalial that it was her grandmother's.  
  
"That necklace reminds me of something, a tale I heard long ago, though I cannot recall it. Oh! We must get you going to the main dining hall! The king and his court will be waiting!" Dimdalial said rushingly. "Here, wear these slippers." She gave Lokelani matching forest green sleepers to wear with the dress. "You look wonderful my lady! Prince Legolas will not be able to resist your beauty." Dimdalial said with a smile.  
  
"What?? Dimdalial, what do you mean?" Lokelani said, shocked.  
  
"Nothing, my lady, quickly, I'll lead you to the dining hall!" Dimdalial said, and quickly dragged her out of the room. 


End file.
